Training Doctors in Iraq

The future of medical education in Iraq is being shaped by experts at Leicester.

Vitally needed doctors being trained at Babylon and Kufa universities in Iraq will benefit from a curriculum shaped by the University. A delegation from Babylon University is visiting the College of Life Sciences at Leicester to learn at first-hand how medical education is delivered.

The collaboration with Iraqi universities on medical education started with a grant from the British Council in 2010.  Since then Leicester has been helping Kufa University to review their undergraduate medical curriculum. Last year, further support came from Erasmus+ programme for the University to collaborate with Babylon and Kufa universities in medical education.

Professor Richard Holland said: “The collaboration provides a wonderful opportunity to work to modernise higher education systems. In addition, it provides a unique insight into how to manage change and modernise medical education in other countries.

“The Medical School was successful in obtaining grant funding from Erasmus+ programme to help academics from two universities in Iraq to visit Leicester and gain experience of how we teach, assess and deliver an integrated undergraduate medical curriculum.”

Professor Mohammed Al-Uzri, Programme lead, added: “I am delighted this long standing collaboration is going further with this grant and facilitating more exchange of knowledge and skills between Leicester and Iraqi universities."

Professor Hadi Almosawi from Babylon University said: “The visit is extremely helpful in enhancing our understanding of advances in medical education.”